Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

157. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to any schools using prone restraints on pupils who have autism and other complex needs; if her attention has been further drawn to the potential risks involved to pupils upon whom prone restraints are used; and if her Department will suggest the use of other viable and safer forms of behaviour support and management, as an alternative to prone restraint, that does not place the child or others at risk from injury. [5121/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I wish to advise the Deputy that the well-being and safety of children should be at the centre of all policy and practices in schools. The Board of Management of each school is responsible for the care and safety of all of the pupils in their school and is required to prepare a code of behaviour in accordance with Section 23 of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000.

Section 23 (4) of the Act states that the Principal of a recognised school shall, before registering a child as a student at that school, provide the parents of such child with a copy of the school's code of behaviour.

Schools may seek advice from their local National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) psychologist, from their NCSE Special Educational Needs Organiser, or from the National Behavioural Support Services, as to how children with behavioural needs can best be supported in school.

Published guidelines which are available to schools include Supporting Students with Behavioural, Emotional, and Social difficulties, which is available on the Department's website www.education.ie; the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) guidelines for schools on Developing a Code of Behaviour and the National Educational Psychological Services document Behavioural Emotional and Social Difficulties - a Continuum of Support: Guidelines for Teachers.

Finally, I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department, through the Special Education Support Service (SESS), provides continuing professional development (CPD) for teachers working with students with special educational needs, including training for teachers in the area of Challenging Behaviour and Autism.